The Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe

Edited by John Loughlin, Frank Hendriks, and Anders Lidström

Description

The Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe analyzes the state of play of democracy at the subnational level in the 27 member states of the EU plus Norway and Switzerland. It places subnational democracy in the context of the distinctive Anglo, French, German, and Scandinavian state traditions in Europe asking to what extent these are still relevant today. The Handbook adapts Lijphart's theory of democracy and applies it to the subnational levels in all the country chapters. A key theoretical issue is whether subnational (regional and local) democracy is derived from national democracy or whether it is legitimate in its own right. Besides these theoretical concerns it focuses on the practice of democracy: the roles of political parties and interest groups and also how subnational political institutions relate to the ordinary citizen. This can take the form of local referendums or other mechanisms of participation. The Handbook reveals a wide variety of practices across Europe in this regard. Local financial systems also reveal a great variety. Finally, each chapter examines the challenges facing subnational democracy but also the opportunities available to them to enhance their democratic systems. Among the challenges identified are: Europeanization, globalization, but also citizens disaffection and switch-off from politics. Some countries have confronted these challenges more successfully than others but all countries face them. An important aspect of the Handbook is the inclusion of all the countries of East and Central Europe plus Cyprus and Malta, who joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. This is the first time they have been examined alongside the countries of Western Europe from the angle of subnational democracy.

The Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe

Edited by John Loughlin, Frank Hendriks, and Anders Lidström

Table of Contents

Introduction, John Loughlin, Frank Hendriks, and Anders LidstromPart One: The British Isles 1. The United Kingdom: Is There Really an Anglo Model?, Peter John and Colin Copus2. Ireland: Halting Steps Towards Local Democracy, John LoughlinPart Two: The Rhinelandic States 3. Belgium: a Tale of Regional Divergence?, Ellen Wayenberg, Filip De Rynck, Kristof Steyvers, and Jean-Benoit Pilet4. The Netherlands: Subnational Democracy and the Reinvention of Tradition, Frank Hendriks and Linze Schaap5. Luxembourg: The Challenge of Inclusive Democracy in a 'Local State', Patrick Dumont, Philippe Poirier, and Raphael Kies6. Germany: Varieties of Democracy in a Federal System, Arthur Benz and Christina Zimmer7. Austria: From Consensus to Competition and Participation?, Franz Fallend8. Switzerland: Subsidiarity, Power-sharing and Direct Democracy, Andreas LadnerPart Three: The Nordic States 9. Denmark: Between Local Democracy and Implementing Agency of the Welfare State, Jens Blom Hansen and Anne Heeager10. Finland: The Limits of the Unitary Decentralized Model, Stefan Sjoblom11. Sweden: Party Dominated Sub-national Democracy Under Challenge?, Anders Lidstrom12. Norway: The Decline of Subnational Democracy?, Harald Baldersheim and Larry RosePart Four: The Southern European States 13. France: Between Centralization and Fragmentation, Alistair Cole14. Italy: The Subnational Dimension to Strengthening Democracy Since the 1990s, Simona Piattoni and Marco Brunazzo15. Spain: The Consolidation of Strong Regional Governments and the Limits of Local Decentralization, Cesar Colino and Eloisa del Pino16. Portugal: Local Democracy in a Small Centralized Republic, Jose E. Magone17. Greece: A Case of Fragmented Centralism and 'Behind the Scenes', Nikos Hlepas and Panos Getimis18. Malta: Local Government: A Slowly Maturing Process, Henry Frendo19. Cyprus: Political Modernity and the Structures of Democracy in a Divided Island, Andrekos Varnava and Christalla YakinthouPart Five: The New Democracies The Visegrad States20. Poland: Europeanization of Sub-National Governments, Pawel Swianiewicz21. The Czech Republic: Local Government in the Years After the Reform, Michal Illner22. Hungary: Remarkable Successes and Costly Failures: An Evaluation of Subnational Democracy, Gabor Soos and Laszlo Kakai23. Slovakia: Local Government: Establishing Democracy at the Grassroots, Sona CapkovaThe Baltic States24. Estonia: Challenges and Lessons of the Development of Local Autonomy, Georg Sootla and Kersten Kattai25. Latvia: Experiments and Reforms in Decentralization, Inga Vilka26. Lithuania: Brave Enough to Implement Daring Democratic Reforms?, Jolanta Vaiciuniene and Saulius NefasThe Balkan States27. Slovenia in Transition: Decentralization as a Goal, Stanka Setnikar-Canka28. Bulgaria: The Dawn of a New Era of Inclusive Subnational Democracy?, Pavlina Nikolova29. Romania: From Historical Regions to Local Decentralization via the Unitary State, Ana Maria DobrePart Six: Conclusions 30. European Subnational Democracy: Comparative Reflections and Conclusions, Frank Hendriks, John Loughlin, and Anders LidstromAppendix 1: Structure of Sub-National Governments in Europe (2007)Appendix 2: Sub-national Finances in EuropeAppendix 3: Trust, Importance of Local/Regional Government and Levels of Corruption in Europe

The Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe

Edited by John Loughlin, Frank Hendriks, and Anders Lidström

Author Information

John Loughlin is a Fellow of St. Edmund's College and Affiliate Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University. He also holds Visiting positions at Oxford, Cambridge, Umea University, and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques Aix-en-Provence, as well as numerous other appointments. He is author and editor of over twenty books and numerous articles and book chapters on European territorial governance, as well as an expert of the Council of Europe's Committee of Independent Experts on Regional and Local Democracy.

Frank Hendriks is Professor of Comparative Governance at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. He deals with cross-border comparison of policies and governance systems, including the comparative analysis of democratic and decisionmaking models at the national and the subnational level. He has conducted extensive research, partly commissioned by public bodies, on governance and democracy at the local, regional, national and European level. Hendriks has published in international journals such as Public Administration; Democratization; Local Government Studies; Administrative Theory and Praxis; Journal of Crises and Contingencies,International Review of Administrative Sciences, and more.

Anders Lidstrom is Professor of Politics at the University of Umeå in Sweden. His reseach focuses on local politics and government, comparative politics, and education policy. Current research includes comparative studies of local government systems, and studies of democracy and political participation in city-regions.

Contributors:

Harald Baldersheim, Professor of Political Science, University of OsloArthur Benz, Professor of Political Sciencem Fern UniversitaetMarco Brunazzo, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of TrentoSona Capkova, Assistant Professor of Regional Development and Public Administration, Matej Bel UniversityAlistair Cole, Professor of European Politics,Cardiff UniversityCesar Colino, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, Spanish National Distance-Learning University (UNED)Colin Copus, Professor of Local Politics and Director of the Local Governance Research Unit, De Montfort UniversityAna Maria Dobre, Associated Researcher, Faculty of Social Sciences and the Institute for International and European Policy, University of LeuvenEloisa Del Pino, Research Fellow, Institute of Public Goods and Policies (IPP), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)Filip De Rynck, Professor of Public Administration, University College GhentPatrick Dumont, Researcher in Political Science, University of LuxembourgFranz Fallend, Senior Scientist, Department of Political Science and Sociology, University of SalzburgHenry Frendo, Professor of History and Director of the Institute of Maltese Studies, University of MaltaPanagiotis Getimis, Professor for Urban and Regional Planning and Policies, Panteion University of Social and Political SciencesJens Blom-Hansen, Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of AarhusAnne Heeager, Researcher at the Department of Political Science, University of AarhusNikos Hlepas, Associate Professor of Regional and Local Government, National and Capodistrian University of AthensMichal Illner, Senior Scientist in the Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Peter John, Hallsworth Chair of Governance, School of Social Sciences, University of ManchesterLaszlo Kakai, Associate Professor of Political Studies, University of PecsKersten Kattai, Lecturer at the Institute of Political Science and Governance, Tallinn UniversityRaphael Kies, Researcher in Political Science, University of LuxembourgAndreas Ladner, Professor of Political Science, Autonomous University Institute IDHEAPJose M. Magone, Professor of Regional and Global Governance, Berlin School of Economics and LawSaulius NefasPavlina Nikolova, International Relations Officer, European CommissionSimona Piattoni, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Trento Jean-Benoit Pilet, Assistant Professor in Political Science, Universite´ Libre de BruxellesPhilippe Poirier, Professor of Political Science, University of Luxembourg; Associate Professor, College des Bernardins and Universite´de Paris IV Sorbonne (Celsa)Lawrence E. Rose, Professor of Political Science, University of OsloLinze Schaap, Associate Professor of Public Administration, Tilburg School of Politics and Public Administration, Tilburg UniversityStanka Setnikar-Cankar, Professor of Economics of the Public Sector, University of LjubljanaStefan SjoblomGabor Soos, Research Director, Tocqueville Research Center BudapestGeorg Sootla, Professor of Public Policy, Tallinn UniversityKristof Steyvers, Lecturer at the Centre for Local Politics, Ghent UniversityPawel Swianiewicz, Professor of Local Development and Policy, University of WarsawJolanta VaiciunieneAndrekos Varnava, Lecturer in Modern History, Flinders UniversityInga Vilka, Assistant Professor in the Public Administration Department, University of LatviaEllen Wayenberg, Assistant Professor in Policy Analysis, University College Ghent and Ghent UniversityChristalla Yakinthou, Country Manager of the International Center for Transitional Justice's Cyprus Program; Research Fellow, University of Western AustraliaChristina Zimmer, Research Assistant, Department of Political Science, Fern Universitaet in Hagen

The Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe

Edited by John Loughlin, Frank Hendriks, and Anders Lidström

Reviews and Awards

"A high-quality team of experts on the different member-countries have produced thorough, clear and well-documented surveys of the state of territorial politics within every state of the Union, and the collection is held together by strong editorial guidance and a lucid and incisive theoretical overview. Accessible to both specialists and readers with more general interests, this work is an essential reference for anyone interested in the changing patterns of the contemporary state."--David Hanley, Professor Emeritus of European Studies, Cardiff University, and Visiting Professor, Centre for European and International Studies, University of Portsmouth

"The impressive Handbook on local democracy in Europe is an invaluable source of precise data about 29 countries, but also makes strong claims about transnational trends and typologies. . . it also stresses the "hybrid" nature of most states now when seen from below. It makes a powerful case for understanding democracy and its transformation beyond the nation state by precisely reviewing the implementation of direct democracy instruments and forms of political participation. Territory strongly matters if we are to understand European democracies, the Handbook eloquently makes the point."--Patrick Le Galès, Research Professor of Politics and Sociology, Sciences Po/CNRS, Centre détudes européennes